Experts have accused the Revenue of lying ahead of imposing a 23% tax on health food supplements.

Health Stores Ireland’s Matt Ronan said the media and public have been misled about the move which comes into force on Friday.

He added: “They claim only basic vitamins, minerals and fish oils were allowed to be sold at 0% VAT since 1973.

“This is utterly untrue as their own website give guidance that items way outside that narrow category could be sold at 0% VAT as late as 2017.

“We have screenshots of their website which clearly show ginseng, garlic etc being sold at 0%.” Tax analyst Ciaran Hurley, who is an ex-Revenue officer, said: “Until 2012, Revenue allowed 0% VAT for all food supplements.

“From late 2011, sports and slimming supplements were excluded from the zero rate and 23% VAT applied to these products. However, everything else remained zero.

"Revenue now denies they ever operated this policy and it’s nonsense.”

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The Irish Mirror has seen screenshots from the Revenue website and a redacted letter to HSI to show they allowed 0% VAT.

Mr Hurley added: “The most extraordinary aspect of all of this is that Revenue had actually commissioned an expert report in December 2016.

“The first paragraph of the terms of reference states, ‘Given the proliferation of food supplement products, we are seeking an expert report to establish clear principles to determine whether these products are food’.

“If food supplements are ‘food’, then they automatically get the zero VAT rate. If not, 23% VAT would apply.”

All health supplements will be subject to the tax, including products used by the elderly and terminally ill.